A woman who goes by Mila on TikTok says she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a green card interview in San Diego, in a video posted Jan. 14, 2026, that has drawn more than 614,000 views. Viewers debated whether immigrants can be arrested while pursuing legal status at all.
The video was overlaid with the text “What happened when ICE arrested me at my green card interview.”
According to Mila, she arrived at the San Diego U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office at 8 a.m. with her U.S. citizen husband and an attorney. She said she had lived in the United States since she was 4 years old and had been trying to resolve her immigration status since she was a teenager.
Mila said the interview initially followed a routine process as she was asked about how she and her husband got together and what led to their wedding. Near the end, she said the USCIS officer told the couple that their evidence was strong and that she was approving their Form I-130 petition, which is used by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to petition for a qualifying family member.
According to Mila, the officer then apologized and told them that others were waiting outside to speak with her.
@milathekilla For everyone worried about doing things the legal way: attending your green card interview IS trying to do things the legal way I’ve been in the US since I was 4 years old, had legal entry, had no choice to go back to my home country and have been trying to do things legally since I was a teenager EDIT: this is happening at the San Diego USCIS office. I have no criminal record or prior removal notices or deportation proceedings. It was an administrative ICE warrant, NOT a judicial warrant #ice #immigration #greencard #immigrant #sandiego
♬ original sound - mila
She said one of the agents told her he knew she was not a criminal and that he was 'just following orders.'
Mila said the agents did allow her to give her belongings to her husband and say goodbye before taking her away. She also said she was handcuffed and placed in ankle restraints. The creator said she was taken to a federal building where she had to stay for approximately 24 hours. She said she believed the arrest had been planned in advance, citing a list of names she saw on a bulletin board. She said she was later released but did not mention why she was arrested or released.
In the post, Mila clarified the incident at the San Diego USCIS office. She said she had no criminal record, prior removal notices, or deportation proceedings and that the warrant was administrative.
Her account could not be independently verified by the Daily Dot. However, USCIS guidance explains that approval of an I-130 petition does not establish that a person is admissible to the United States. It is an opportunity to seek lawful permanent residence if the person meets the other requirements. According to USCIS, approval of a family petition does not mean an applicant has received a green card or immunity from immigration enforcement. ICE can detain someone when there is probable cause to believe the person can be deported, following procedures.
Commenters were divided on the video. Some supported and were concerned that Mila was detained despite an immigration appointment with an attorney. One wrote, “THEY ARE ARRESTING AND DEPORTING PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY,” while another said the appointment looked like it was, as Mila said, a setup.
Others questioned the circumstances of her arrest and noted that applying for a green card does not erase prior immigration violations — a point that appeared to be the basis for some of the divided reactions.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this video, including the circumstances of Mila's detention, the nature of the warrant, or the reasons for her subsequent release. The details above reflect the account as shared on TikTok by @milathekilla.
